Smallville: "Sneeze" Review

Clark discovers a new superpower and Lex Luthor is captured by a couple of hired goons.

After last week's season premiere, Smallville shifts gears and this week we are treated to a semi-light hearted episode in which Clark Kent gains a new superpower and Lois Lane finally catches the writing bug. Meanwhile, Lex Luthor is captured by a couple of hired goons - yes hired goons - who are determined to find the source of Luthor's short-lived super powers.

"Sneeze" is a welcome change after last week's effort, which felt a slight rushed. It is good to see that the writers - Todd Slavkin and Darren Swimmer - don't abandon the events of last week and the destruction caused by Zod is not merely dismissed. In fact, it is weaved nicely into the narrative of "Sneeze" and even given a name - Dark Thursday. Clark has been using his super abilities to clean up the rubble in Metropolis but it turns out that he caught a whiff of a cold during his imprisonment in the Phantom Zone. Unfortunately his super powered sneezes literally blow off the barnyard doors on the Kent farm. One of these doors almost hits Lois Lane during her jog seven miles away.

Clark's super powered sneezes are primarily played for laughs as he comes to terms with his new ability. A smart move to keep Clark and Chloe together for the majority of the episode as their chemistry is the most sound of all the characters on the show and she naturally delivers the best punch lines for Clark's super-sneezes.

Lois' near death experience at the hands of a barnyard door adds to the comic relief as she is determined to find out how it traveled from the Kent farmstead to a field several miles away. Chloe attempts to debunk Lois' claims of supernatural intervention and the two scenes they have together are hilarious on screen. The writers cleverly use this opportunity to finally infect Lois Lane with the writing bug as her investigation leads to her first byline in a local tabloid newspaper. Not the greatest start for a future Pulitzer Prize winner but funny nonetheless.

Concurrently, we are presented with a much darker tale. Mysterious black Range Rovers are following Lex Luthor and he has hired a private investigator to find out who it might be. Unfortunately, the P.I. only lasts one scene before being dispatched off-screen and hired goons subsequently capture Lex. Yes, hired goons who come complete with over-the-top cheesy acting that you can only find on sci-fi television. Normally, this type of acting would garner a negative response but this time around their bad acting seemed to fit the characters they were trying to present.

Lionel enlists the help of Clark who is reluctant to help but realizes that Lex may know his secret. Lionel then pays a visit to Oliver Queen. Yes, that Oliver Queen. Justin Hartley will be playing the role of Queen for approximately seven episodes this season. Previously, Hartley played Aquaman in the defunct television pilot Mercy Reef. Hopefully, at some point during these seven episodes, Hartley's acting will catch up with the character. It may be best to give him episodes to "flesh out" the character but his initial impression is pretty disappointing. There didn't appear to be any real inflection in his voice and his attempts at sarcasm leave a lot to be desired.

Ultimately, Clark's newfound super power and Lex Luthor's dilemma come together for a smart and logical climax. Clark, with the help of Chloe discovers that his super human lung capacity can be used for the good of mankind and he uses this to save Lex and Lana from a fiery death.

"Sneeze" is an all-round well-written and well-paced effort that uses a smart mix of humor and thrills to tell a fun story. The only disappointment that can be noted in this episode is the stale acting of Justin Hartley that will hopefully be remedied once he gets comfortable with his new role. If Oliver Queen can work on screen; who knows how many other future Justice League characters may pop up in the near future?